BEIJING, Oct. 26 (UPI) — Chinese couples may be too stressed to find satisfaction in their sex lives, and few Chinese men seek Western medical treatment for erectile dysfunction.

In a survey of 72,377 respondents conducted by the Chinese Medical Association and the China Sexology Association, 38 percent of respondents said they have “healthy sex” on a regular basis, China News Network reported Monday.

The majority of respondents said their sex lives are not satisfactory. AsiaOne reported stress and depression were underlying causes for the dearth of sexual activity, and about 90 percent of those surveyed said their sex lives were an important factor in marital happiness and self-confidence.

The survey is the first of its kind to be conducted in China, and was included in a report on the sex satisfaction and knowledge of Chinese citizens, Yonhap reported.

Among the men and women surveyed, 83.5 percent of respondents said male stamina was the most important factor in sexual satisfaction. For Chinese men suffering from erectile dysfunction, 90 percent said they use traditional Chinese herbs or remedies as treatment, but only 7 out of 100 turned to Western medicine for a solution.

“Most of them feel shy about telling doctors about their problems, or are overly concerned about the side-effects of pills,” said Liu Defeng, a physician at Peking University Third Hospital.

Most Chinese respondents worried about the consequences of taking prescriptive drugs, like Viagra. Only 14 percent thought Sildenafil, the main component of Viagra, was safe to consume.

Pierre Gaudreault, chief marketing officer for Pfizer in China, said if erectile dysfunction is left untreated, though not life-threatening, the condition could “affect people’s mental and physical health, or even the happiness of their family.”

The nature of sexual desire: Why less sex does not mean less love

In our country, one out of every three married couples struggle with problems associated with mismatched sexual desire. This leaves one person feeling routinely rejected and the other incessantly hounded and perpetuates a nasty cycle of resentment. Different sex drives can wreak havoc outside the bedroom too. This sort of breakdown has put several marriages at risk of infidelity and divorce.

The reason humans desire sex is due to the hormone testosterone, which is a predominantly male hormone. It’s also the desire hormone, or the drive hormone or libido hormone. Men and women are different, not better or worse, just different.

Due to low free bioavailable testosterone, many women feel that they no longer have any interest in sex or sexual pleasure as they used to in the past, or maybe the clitoris is just not as sensitive as it used to be or it may even be painful to stimulate. There is no exact level of testosterone that correlates with good sexual functioning and appropriate levels of sexual desire. As men age, there is a steady decline in testosterone levels. In women, testosterone is present about one tenth of the amount usually found in men. Since testosterone maintains erectile tissue and part of a person’s desire for sex, it helps support the clitoris and its adjoining erectile tissue as well as a woman’s libido. As a woman ages, her ovaries gradually decrease production of both estrogen and testosterone and almost completely stop doing so at menopause. If a woman has her ovaries removed, the decline in hormones is abrupt and more drastic. Thus, women may find it difficult to lubricate when they are sexually aroused. If, after considerable amount of stimulation, a woman is still experiencing any of these symptoms as well as a significant change in her level of sexual desire, she may benefit from having some testosterone replacement. But even some women who are far from reaching menopause may face difficulties because of low testosterone.

The most common cause of this in today’s society is hormonal birth control. This includes the pill, cervical rings, injections, and hormone-coated IUDs. All of these raise the level of protein that attaches to estrogen and testosterone, leaving less of the free bioavailable hormone to circulate and have its effect on the tissues of the body. Since testosterone is bound very tightly to this protein, even a small increase in the protein’s production can drop the level of free testosterone (bioavailable testosterone) to problematic levels. Many a time, it is advisable to use alternate modes of birth control. Other biological desire killers are depression; estrogen producing tumours, hepatitis, low thyroid, high prolactin levels, stroke, epilepsy and pituitary gland diseases, and certain drugs that affect desire like blood pressure lowering drugs, cancer medications, tranquilizers, anti-depressants, ulcer medications etc.

For a spouse low on desire, agree to compromise on the frequency of sex so it can be viewed as “win-win”. You need to begin thinking and feeling differently about the role of sex and sexuality in your life. Recognise that the partner with low desire always dominates and sets the pace for frequency and intensity of sexual relations. If you are not interested in sex because something in the relationship is wrong, try counseling. If the desire killer is not a relationship issue, it may be a medical problem. Try and get the medical problem corrected. Under proper medical supervision, precursors of testosterone like DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) or low dose of testosterone in the form of creams, pill, patch or drops, has helped countless individuals begin to feel some fire for sex in their relationship. Many Nutraceuticals combine L Arginine with Ginseng, Gingko Biloba, and Fenugreek in saponised form with minerals like Zinc and Magnesium to prove very promising. Regular exercise, 7-8 hours of good quality sleep every day, not having excess fat tissue, eliminating chronic stress, and having a good diet rich in zinc, are all natural ways to increase testosterone.

Lastly, it is important to separate desire problems from relationship problems. Being supportive and trust is a fundamental building block in a relationship; however, it is important to have trust in oneself. By building a basic level of trust within oneself, one can begin to experience more satisfying and emotionally close relationships. Be honest about the root of the problem. People usually blame sexual disinterest on being “tired” or “stressed,” which often isn’t the full story. Adjust your expectations, older couples, in particular. Do something new and fun outside the bedroom, be it hiking or viewing an art gallery, watching a play, yoga, dance, meditation etc, which can make you feel closer and pull you back in the mood. Instead of saying “no,” say when. Telling a partner, “Not now, but after dinner,” or let’s not do it today, but let’s hold each other and sleep together, is received much better than a flat-out rejection.

It’s not just about different sex drives, but a complete lack of empathy about being in the other person’s shoes that causes problems. Couples could save themselves grief if they discuss expectations for sex as they plan their lives together, just as they discuss values around children and finances. But people mistakenly believe that sex is something that should naturally fall into place. Sex is not a personal decision, it’s an interpersonal decision. And, like everything else, low desire, has to be looked at as something that’s nurtured and can be managed. One must understand that less sex doesn’t necessarily mean less love.

Dr Jumani is an MBBS(Bom), FIAMS, ACS(USA), Ph D. He is also a Diplomate American Board Certified Clinical Sexologist and Sexual Health Physician and Counsellor attached to Mumbai Police. You can contact him at deepak.jumani@gmail.com

Use drama, songs to give sex education to the young

The number of young girls giving birth is alarming. Rape cases are rampant in our society. While we keep enjoying the fruits of the 21st century, early marriages and sexual abuses by the adults to the vulnerable young people is on the rise.

Sometimes back probably when I was not born, the elders gave the young people sex education. Their grandmothers taught girls while their grandfathers taught boys. Parents too played a crucial role in educating the children hence the society was upright.

During those affirmative years, the young people grew with knowledge and understanding of their anatomy even though technology was rudimentary. It was hard for our grandmothers those days to give birth before marriage. Finding virgins was an obvious thing and the institution of marriage was sacred.

With advancement in technology, things have changed a great deal. Knowledge levels on economics, political and scientific spheres have improved. At secondary school, young people are passing exams year in year out yet socially they understand very little about their anatomy, sexual rights and love affairs.

We have left the young people to get knowledge on social media. Few girls understand their menstrual cycle. Many do not know what to do after rape while a good number indulge in relationships due to peer pressure.

It is obvious that if a girl does not understand her body and the reactions taking place in her development, she stands a chance of getting pregnant unknowingly. This is the reason why maternity rooms are full of young people at the expense of adults.

Partly we can blame the eroding society. Young people these days get little education on sexual reproductive health rights. In the 21st century, a typical young boy or girl should know where to report to or the first steps to take immediately after rape. Many do not even know the rights they are entitled to, yet they suffer in silence.

It is of help when youths grow while understanding their sexual reproductive health rights. One should get into a sexual relationship at will and not because a friend did coerce him/her or forced by an adult.

In the area of contraceptives, the best option available should be encouraged. Girls have died due to poor dosage of abortion pills while others visit quacks to terminate the unwanted pregnancy.

At universities and colleges, girls are over using contraceptives no wonder there are many pharmaceutical shops around Maseno University. Business people are taking advantage of the ignorance anyway.

If we cannot use written materials, then we can use drama, songs, spoken word and poems to pass information geared towards sexual reproductive health rights for the girl child.

At Maseno University, there is Ipas African Alliance (a Non- governmental Organisation) that is involved in training the students and the community on safe sexual behaviour.

Others can learn from them. For us to reduce early pregnancies, drugs and substance abuse, sexual transmitted infections we should support all measures put in place to help the girl child understand her sexual reproductive health rights.

Pill for Low Libido in Women Goes on Sale on Saturday

2015-10-20

Flibanserin (Addyi) is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug designed to help women with low libido. But that approval, announced in August, came with significant restrictions because the drug can cause severely low blood pressure and loss of consciousness, the FDA warned.

Addyi’s label will include a boxed warning saying the drug shouldn’t be taken while drinking alcohol, and shouldn’t be used with certain other drugs and by women with liver problems.

And the once-daily pill, to be taken at night, can only be prescribed or dispensed by doctors and pharmacists who have been thoroughly briefed on the drug and its benefits and risks, the FDA added.

“Today’s approval provides women distressed by their low sexual desire with an approved treatment option,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement released Aug. 19. “The FDA strives to protect and advance the health of women, and we are committed to supporting the development of safe and effective treatments for female sexual dysfunction.”

Woodcock said Addyi will only be available through certified health care professionals and certified pharmacies “because of a potentially serious interaction with alcohol.”

Addyi is being marketed by Sprout Pharmaceuticals, based in Raleigh, N.C.

Dr. Holly Thacker, a women’s health specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, said the FDA’s approval of Addyi “provides an additional, helpful option for women across the country who experience sexual dysfunction. The medication has been studied in 11,000 women and it does improve sexual function in women who have certain sexual problems.

“It doesn’t treat all sexual dysfunction, it won’t help all women with sexual problems, but it will have a role in the therapy,” Thacker added. “Just like with any medication — adult women in conjunction with their physician can make an informed decision about whether this is an appropriate therapy for them.”

Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler, a urologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said: “Although the efficacy [effectiveness] of flibanserin is not clear, it seems to be safe. Couples will have the option of finding out for themselves whether or not it enhances their sexual relationship. It is clear that flibanserin will not address interpersonal or emotional problems. Nor will it address issues related to painful intercourse.”

The pursuit of a drug for women with low libido has been like a Holy Grail for the pharmaceutical industry, given the enormous popularity and financial windfall from the erectile dysfunction drugs Viagra and Cialis for men since the late 1990s.

And Addyi’s long road to FDA approval — it had been rejected twice by the agency since 2010 — was a contested affair.

Proponents said the drug would provide an important option for millions of American women who suffer from hypoactive sexual desire disorder, which causes a persistent or recurring lack of desire.

“This would bring another option to the table that doesn’t currently exist,” said Fred Wyand, spokesman for the American Sexual Health Association, a group that testified in favor of flibanserin during an FDA hearing in June.

But opponents cited a host of concerns about the drug. Among the concerns: symptoms of extreme fatigue and the potential for accidental injuries, as well as questions about the medication’s effectiveness.

An FDA advisory panel voted 18 to 6 in June to recommend the drug’s approval, but the endorsement was somewhat muted. The committee called the drug’s benefits “moderate” or “marginal,” and the panel members who voted yes said full FDA approval should come with conditions.

One of flibanserin’s detractors is psychotherapist Keesha Ewers, founder and chief medical officer of the Functional Sexology Institute, who contends the drug hasn’t been shown to be very effective.

Women in clinical trials for the drug reported, at best, an increase of one additional satisfying sexual event per month, according to FDA documents. Plus, clinical trials have also shown that the drug doesn’t appear to directly boost a woman’s libido, Ewers said.

“Not one person in the studies that have been done has actually reported an increase in sexual desire,” she told HealthDay. “What has been reported is a decrease in the distress that is felt about lack of sexual desire.”

That distress is one of the clinical parameters used to diagnose a person with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. And that is what has allowed the drug’s proponents to state that it can be useful in treating some women who have sexual dysfunction.

There are also some safety concerns about flibanserin. One in five women in clinical trials reported that the drug caused feelings of extreme fatigue and sedation. Accidental injuries associated with this fatigue occurred twice as often in women taking flibanserin compared with those taking a placebo, FDA documents showed.

Flibanserin’s backers mounted a marketing campaign called “Even the Score,” which used a gender-rights argument to advocate for the drug’s approval. The campaign received funding from Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Palatin Technologies and Trimel Pharmaceuticals, all of which are working on drugs to treat female sexual disorders.

A number of high-profile groups such as the National Organization of Women signed onto the campaign, which argued that women deserve a medication that helps sexual function since men already have Viagra and Cialis.

“We live in a culture that has historically discounted the importance of sexual pleasure and sexual desire for women,” NOW President Terry O’Neill said in an NPR interview earlier this year. “And, I fear that it’s that cultural attitude that men’s sexual health is extremely important, but women’s sexual health is not so important. “

Other groups in support of Even the Score included the American Sexual Health Association, the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, the Society for Women’s Health Research, and the Institute for Sexual Medicine.

“What makes me sad, worried, and to be honest, annoyed, is that there are no medical options available for women for whom biological factors are at play. Not one,” said Lynn Barclay, the American Sexual Health Association’s president and CEO, who testified before the FDA advisory committee in June.

Ewers said it’s a false argument to compare flibanserin for women to Viagra or Cialis for men. Viagra works on a man’s body, stimulating blood flow to create easy erections. “That’s an actual physiological function — erection,” she said. “It’s not affecting their desire. It’s affecting their plumbing.”

Can Penile Implant Surgery Cure ED?

2015-10-12

Though ED medications are successful in 85% of cases, there are drawbacks. They have to be taken at a certain time. Some cannot be taken with food. And sex has to be planned around them, making it less spontaneous and for many couples, less fulfilling. Injections work in about 15-20 minutes. But this is still less than ideal for those who enjoy getting intimate when the mood strikes. Now many urologists are offering another option: penile implant surgery.

Such implants have been around since the early 70’s. They are often used in cases of treatment-resistant dysfunction. Once ED drugs made their way to the market in the late 90’s, implants were cast aside. But now advances in technology are once again making them popular. Each year 25,000 of these procedures are performed, with a satisfaction rate of 94%.

This is a 45 minute procedure. Though an urologist may perform it, it is often handled by an implant specialist. The surgeon makes a tiny incision. Next, a small pump is placed within the scrotum. This draws sterile water from a reservoir which is placed against the wall of the abdomen. When the pump is pressed the water fills two cylinders on either side of the penis, causing an erection to occur. There is a little bit of pain associated with the surgery. But most patients find that it is minimal, and the end result, worthwhile. Medicare along with most other insurance companies cover the procedure. There is a risk of infection but it is low, a mere 5%. It usually takes about four weeks after the operation for the patient to be ready to try it out. Performance is not limited to one orgasm. In fact, a man can engage in intercourse as many times as his partner likes. Speak with your doctor or an urologist if you are interested in a penile implant, or if you are experiencing any degree of ED.